Style
second
Issue #23
The best of Second Life clothing, hair, skins, accessories and more
STYLE GUY:
OSCAR PAGE MEN OF MODE INTERVIEW:
MENNO OPHELIA
PEACOCKING IN SL FRESH FACES:
[ hoorenbeek ] TURNING JAPANESE
PLUS: Men From Boys Mini-Guides Runway Review Chic Savvy
contents Features 36 Men’s Shoot Men of Mode
28 Style Guy: Phoenix Chapman interviews Oscar Page
60 Second Style Interview:
Articles 12 Fresh Faces Ana Lutetia discovers [ hoorenbeek ]
16 Bleeding Edge James Schwarz
24 Men’s Corner Ryan Darragh
54 Turning Japanese Amika Jewell
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57 Chic Savvy Genevieve Lutetia
62 Peacocking in SL Ryan Darragh
65 Mini-Guide Phoenix Chapman
66 Runway Review Graciana McMillan
The best of Second Life clothing, hair, skins, accessories, and more
Issue #23 Cover Credits Model: Catero revolution Skin - Minnu Model Skins (Minnu Palen); Congo. Hair - Chase (Ocean Lane); Seabreeze. Shirt - Casa Del Shai (Shai Delacroix); White Barong Shirt. Pants - Last Call (Ginny Talamasca); Dark wash jeans from the Antonio purchase set. *no longer available* Shoes - Urban Bomb Unit (coke Dreadlow) PornStar Hi-Tops
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief Celebrity Trollop Director of Operations, Advertising Sales and Senior Layout Designer HeatherDawn Cohen Managing Editor Iris Ophelia Advertising Assistant Devotchka Dagger Columnist Justine Babii Senior Staff Writers Ryan Darragh
CONTACT US: http://www.secondstyle.com (PDF version) Story ideas: editor@secondstyle.com Comments: letters@secondstyle.com Ad Sales: sales@secondstyle.com
Staff Writers Scarlett Niven Ana Lutetia Phoenix Chapman Graciana McMillan Genevieve Lutetia Amika Jewell James Schwarz Founder Josie Hamilton
Second Style Magazine | 7
editor’s note This issue is definitely long overdue one! The world of men’s fashion in Second Life has been flourishing since Second Style’s inception, and yet male avatars have had only a passing spot in the magazine, and what we have had is largely through the dedication of Ryan Darragh, who also runs the Men’s Second Style blog. Well we’re looking to change that. This issue we’re welcoming two new male writers, James Schwarz and Bone Mosten, and to celebrate we’ve made an entire issue devoted to our Y chromosomed brothers from digital mothers. Also in this issue, we are officially posting an editorial assistant position. This position involves a lot of “clerical” work, like sending IMs and notecards, doing research, and occasionally even impromptu modeling and writing. If you’re interested in applying, see page 13 for instructions, or email me at ophelia.iris@gmail.com. The deadline is January 1st, so don’t wait too long!
Iris Ophelia
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Second Style Magazine | 11
By Ana Lutetia
fresh faces
[ hoorenbeek ] Outfit – Gary Gary is an outfit for the casual guy that wants to be in style and look cool. The outfit includes shades, top, camo pants with sculpted pockets, prim belt, prim bag and shoes in three different sizes. The only addition I would make would be cuffs to the pants, as well as including two versions of pants (one to wear with sculpted cuffs and one to wear without.) 12 | Second Style Magazine
Ansor Hoorenbeek opened [ hoore photosourced material with hand-d find casual and formal products wi latest SL technologies. The most im customers as well as in creating cus complete outfits available at the sto
[ hoorenbeek ] Outfits – Hunter Hunter is another casual look for the city male. The outfit comes with tee, pants with drawn belt, cap, shades, cuff in three sizes and shoes in three different sizes. If the tee had more layers it could also be worn on top on a long sleeves and I also think pants would look even better with sculpted or prim cuffs.
[ hoorenbeek ] Outfi JD is a stylish form the Entourage series from Californication. perfect to impress an sweater, jacket, slack shoes and shades. T stylish, a tucked ver would be great.
enbeek ] in 2007, July. Since then he has been designing quality clothing and accessories for men. He combines drawn techniques in his creations. The inspiration behind the brand comes from RL-- at [ hoorenbeek ] you can easily ith a modern and edgy feel. Ansor makes an effort to release articles weekly and to always be up to date with the mportant feature is the importance that customer care has to [ hoorenbeek ], by paying attention and listening to their stom products. In the near future, [ hoorenbeek ] will also have a unique collection for women. The articles shown are ore.
fit – JD mal outfit inspired by s or the Hank Outfit, It is a classy outfit nd includes turtleneck ks, three sizes of prim To make it even more rsion of the sweater
[ hoorenbeek ] Outfit – Lioncourt Lioncourt is a casual and stylish outfit in earthly tones and great details. It comes with beret, glasses, cigarette, prim earplugs (in the pocket), turtleneck sweater, blazer, jeans and boots in three different sizes. With the jeans I decided not to wear the calf part of the boot, to make the look a bit more subtle.
[ hoorenbeek ] Outfits - Marcel Marcel is the younger look of Lioncourt aiming for a younger clientele. It is a casual and stylish look where the sneakers and cap gives it the younger look. It comes with cap, buttoned shirt, striped blazer, prim earplugs, cigarette, shades, jeans, and sneakers in three different sizes.
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By James Schwarz Taking it to the streets Eclectic, just one of the few words we can use to describe the out of the box urban style of the young, artistic, free-thinking independent city dweller or as what others would refer casually refer to as hipsters. From blacks and white to bright neon, undersized to oversized, old, new and everything in between is what basically makes up this particular style. Like its counterpart in RL, you don’t see much of these looks in the vast grid except for certain areas. That being said, when you mention the word urban style in SL, what usually comes to mind are the fusions of grunge and steampunk clothing and accessories. While I have nothing against those, it’s refreshing to see more contemporary and realistic looks that you could actually see yourself wearing outside of Second Life.
NOTE: The following looks are intended for the more average/slender/thin shapes, if you’re a SLwarzenegger these might not work for you (at all). I. Monochromatic Dramatic: Simple, casual, minimalist, making a statement without making a statement and taking elements from the rebel without a cause. This look utilizes the basics; starting with the finely textured rolled up sleeve white tee from Muism, an essential to any wardrobe which works as the base for this look, also from Muism is the black skinny roll up jeans serving as the contrast to the white tee and setting up the monotone vibe. The black tritone loafers from Shiny Things which are another one of my personal favourites goes well and well the shirt and jeans. I opted for a simple black pair of loafers instead of sneakers to make the look suitable for a day or a night out. Adding just a hint of color are the pair of red socks which I made myself (anyone can make socks, no need to go into detail on that) it just adds a little twist and breaks the otherwise too serious aura. To accessorize, we have the finely patterned and detailed scripted color/size changing Afghan Stole from Sey. I don’t smoke IRL and I don’t smoke in SL but I do The Magical Kazoo every now and then, this cool little instrument is from Veezy. The glasses, a staple on my face are free from Sera Korea. Topping off this look is The Homburg hat from Kari, it’s smooth, suave sculpt and color changing script making it definite must-have for anyone. II. Cold Jam: Inspired by the clubs; the lights, the beat, the mix and the mix, it’s all about the mix. You don’t have to be in the club to get your nerves pumping and ‘jiggy wit it’ (I’m such a whiteboy). Bring to club to your ears, this funky color changing headphones are from MYA. I wear my sunglasses at night so I can so I can…just so
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music can cause you to sweat and eventually mess up your hair, one hair that looks good strategically messed up is Gritty Kitty’s deadline (shown in black) what I particularly like about this hair is, well everything.
I can! You too can be that obnoxiously cool with these shades from Novocaine. The black and white striped thermal is from VG Republic, it works great on itself and even greater under jackets or coats (long live all-layer tops), paired over are the indian red pants from Armidi Limited and the navy blue mod coat from Aoharu, both mixing like the bar line audio visualizations red and blue, chill and cool. Way down where the dance floor or the pavements meet your feet, meet them like a superstar with Soreal’s oh so ultra freaking realistic superstars! I can’t even stress how awesome these sneaks are it’d require a whole page, with that said, everyone should have them. Dancing and sometimes just listening to good
III. Art Attack: Confident with unusual colors, cause an unusual color is the new black according to the art geek shortly after chiming in that the brush & the lens are mightier than the sword. This ensemble would look rather ordinary if it wasn’t for the bold color ranges of red, pink and maroon complementing each other. Spending long hours in front of the computer working with your wacom doesn’t leave much time for having kempt hair, that’s exactly what we get from Uncleweb’s Mickey hanging over Vintagewear’s uber rad simple frame glasses which are obtainable for free at the store’s entrance. You can never have enough check pattern shirts, this one from MYA is great for putting over tanks or a tee giving off that casually dishevelled feel, the color although pink is not distracting and is shaded really well. Keeping in tune with the shirt’s color into a darker matter shade of red going down we have Aitui’s reborn slacks in smoked maroon, then going back up a shade to the sneakers from Algernon. The freshman bag shown here was a limited gift item from Gritty Kitty and is no longer in their store. Prep-a-Porter Argyles, plaids, knits, tweeds and the likes; to me they are timeless cozy golden era elements of dapperness. A small dash of patterns can do a lot in adding pizzazz into what may be a boring and uptight outfit, the subtle toning of colors can make a rather casual look be more sophisticated. It
was actually quite a challenge scouting for quality preppy male pieces, but I was able to discover new shops with the help of people who had the same interest in these classic styles as I did. Donning a preppy look doesn’t mean that you have to look like your grandfather on a golfing retreat, you can give it some spunk by selecting more vibrant colors and patterns over neutral bases, then pairing those with more contemporary attachments as demonstrated herewith. NOTE: When asked, suavely retort with “I’m (your name here)”. I. Good Will Hunting: Hitting the great outdoors, out for a game of golf and taking your Arabian out for a ride or just lounging. This look is rather simple; Argrace’s hunting hat is always a good option when you’re having a bad hair day (can’t decide what hair to wear) plus it has that 50’s paperboy/gang scout appeal, it basically looks good with anything. The outfit proper is composed of a vest shirt and
good pair of shorts; the vest is from Twosome and it comes in all layers, you can wear the shirt with the vest or just the vest or the shirt on their own, the little bowtie is a dollarbie from Acid Mall. The vest is the central color and we pair it with the dark toned madras shorts from Arai, there is no hem attachments for these shorts so I added the ones from a pair of freebie black shorts found in Edge Grafica because sometimes you gotta be crafty like that. For the footwear I went with the amazing plaid tritone loafers from Shiny Things, these shoes are too amazing for words. II. Ivy League: Dean’s lists, guest lists, call lists, honour list, hit list and the list go on for the overachieving college prep. Sticking to classics I went with an Armidi classic, The Cadiz which is neatly combed, prim and proper. Argyle, you can not write about preppy clothing without the mention and appearance of the argyle pattern. This beautifully made sweater from Juju’s Closet named Preppy Maddox (Maddox Dupont of KMADD) is classy and cozy yet modern with the selection of the argyle colors over a black base, its loosed up hem forearm attachment makes the sweater look more laid back. Meriken, which specializes in retro/ mod clothing for men provided this look with striped pants in varying tones that gave a bit of kitsch to the look making it more playful. To lace up, I’m donning The Jeepers Creeper’s Sebastian in red. III. Business & Pleasure: The young junior partner – always on the go; always keen on getting the deal, work hard and play hard. Screw power suits! I’m running late for a meeting so let’s cut to the chase; Hibiki Hair from Uncleweb it’s clean cut but still edgy and cool. The cool suitcase is from Acid Mall, big thick black framed glasses from Sera Korea, an awesome freebie. It’s chilly these days, cardigan up! Yellow cardigan from Yamy and underneath that is a shirt and tie from Rooster. Muism delivers once again with these plaid pants from their new collection, the patterns and the prims are all spot on reminiscent of vintage tweed pants. I’m in a hurry, notice I’m wearing Urban Bomb Unit’s slip-ons cause I’m in a hurry. Pleasure doing business with you!
Men From Boys naturally leaves me wondering—what direction do I take now? For starters, the name of the column has changed. While menswear doesn’t take up nearly the SL acreage occupied by women’s fashion, it’s still a worthy, growing market and surely deserves more than a “corner.” The new name was a suggestion from Iris that I liked better than my own ideas, and I liked it even more the more I thought about it. Hopefully it also says something about what I’m trying and hoping to do here.
Ryan Darragh
S
tarting with this issue, Second Style Magazine dramatically expands its coverage of menswear. Of course, this issue is All Guys, All the Time, but going forward you’ll see more men’s fashions each issue in a variety of new columns and features. I’m very happy no longer to be the sole voice speaking for men in this publication, but the change
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As for my direction, I decided to try something different. This column is the first in a series (we’ll see how long it goes on and what form it takes going forward) that I’m calling “Essentials,” at least in my mind. The underlying idea is that there are some things every man just needs to have in his wardrobe. In this series, I’ll take a look at some of these sartorial staples and present a handful of my favorite examples of each. Our first essential wardrobe item is The Sweater. Fortunately, SL designers realize just how important a quality sweater is for a man—show me a designer who hasn’t done at least one sweater and I’ll say you probably just didn’t look in the back of the shop. It would be absolutely impossible to include every fine men’s sweater here, so we’ll have to live with the Continued on page 26 >
Men’s Corner
> Continued from page 24
compromise of, in no particular order, several of my heavy-rotation favorites, both old and new.
that it’s blessedly easy to fit. Available at Gisaci (Armidi 90, 131, 31).
Shelly Toonie’s Turtleneck for men is simple and comfortably familiar, but far from plain. The handsome fabric texture of the base garment is carried over all but seamlessly onto the sculpted collar and cuff attachments, enhancing their casually rumpled appearance. I like the fabric’s smooth weave, sheen and highlight/shadow shading, which are all subtle but nicely realistic. I’m wearing the sweater in Cabernet, but it’s also available in five other muted, restrained colors; three are smoothly woven, three are in a larger, more open knit. Available at Moonshine (Silver Lake 95, 180, 26).
No two ways about it—mirai Jun’s Cardigan is just plain sexy. Here the knit is big and the fabric texture miraculously walks the line (for me, at least) between accurate photorealism and softer, smoother hand-drawn art. The optional sculpted cuffs look slightly loose and floppy, as if the sweater is just a little large, or perhaps it’s well loved, well worn and ever so slightly stretched out. Three other colors are available, but I bought the Blue for myself because it goes with some of my favorite eyes. Perfect for a lazy, rainy Saturday morning, or lounging before a roaring fire back at the chalet, après ski. I love this sweater. Available at Cubic Effect (Chantilly 119, 132, 26).
The Classic Cashmere Turtleneck by Nicole David has been a personal favorite of mine ever since its release. The weave texture is rich and sumptuous, and the ten different colors (it’s shown here in Creme) are equally rich. The cuffs are closely fitted here, so you’ll find no prim cuffs, but the sculpted collar has a natural, pleasing shape, and besides
The Ornate Cardigan by Jesseaitui Petion shows us what can be done with just the clothing layer. Here it’s all about the fabric texturing, because there are no prim components of any kind. It’s all good, though, because Jesse knows how to work a texture like nobody’s business—the design
work is indeed ornate, with clear vertical ribbing, sharp edge piping and a beautiful scrollwork design across the chest. If you look closely, you’ll realize that you can get a glimpse of whatever lies beneath the unbuttoned buttonholes. An optional glove-layer piece makes the sleeves look extralong. Choose from ornate and simpler plain styles in six colors; it’s shown in Earth, which you might think would be a brown but is instead a deep forest-y green. Available at Aitui (Aitui 200, 182, 23). Kal Rau’s simply named Blue Sweater is smoothly textured with a very fine knit, and it’s accented by a small embroidered crest in front and subtle storebrand artwork in back. The jacket layer includes both sweater and untucked plaid shirt, while the shirt layer (not intended to be worn alone) adds a bit of bulk to the sleeves. The crisp prim collar is scripted for automatic resize—just touch it and select from the pop-up menu. Available at Kal Rau (La Fortuna 2 87, 156, 22), where you’ll also find other sweater styles and a variety of casual designs by Kal. The Vest & Shirt with Hood by risey Arai features classically geometric decorative designs and an elegantly sculpted prim hood. You can wear the vest tucked or untucked, and with or without the plaid shirt. A shirt-layer “puffer” gives the jacketlayer version looser sleeves. The vest with shirt
really needs the prim hood, which gives the shirt its collar, and for the same reason the vest alone can really only be worn without the hood. I’m wearing it here in White, but it’s also available in Black and Gray. A version styled for women comes in five colors. Available at :sey (Isle of Tranquility 158, 110, 29). Nothing bridges the gap between casual and dressy quite like a good sweater. The right sweater can dress up even older, faded jeans, and adding a pair of perfectly shined leather shoes could just make you downright presentable. Also, rumor has it that Significant Others often find sweaters to be persuasively cozy and eminently touchable, so you may just need more than one. An expanded version of this article will be published on the Men’s Second Style fashion blog at www.second-man.com. Be sure to look for it! Ryan is also wearing: “Antonio” skin by Funk Schnook (FNKY!). “Gunner” hair by Shelly Toonie (Moonshine). Classic Jeans by Jesseaitui Petion (Aitui). Ryan is Editor in Chief of the Men’s Second Style fashion blog, available online at www.secondman.com. He lives in Otherland with his partner Sean. Second Style Magazine | 27
Style Guy
OSCAR PAGE By Phoenix Chapman
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Phoenix Chapman Oscar!
Hey look, it’s an
Oscar Page :-P P.C. Well, first, thanks so much for agreeing to be the Style Guy! You’ve been around for so long (just over four years now), and you’re iconic now in the world of fashion. How did you find SL, what brought you here? O.P. Well I used to play a first person shooter game called Day of Defeat. It was pretty much the redheaded stepchild to Counterstrike. I had a clan (yes that’s what they call a team in the gamer world) of friends and we sort of lost the passion to play after doing poorly when we got bumped up a level to CAL-main. The clan broke apart, but we all still talked on Ventrilo. I was on there talking with my boys and they were telling me about this other game they were playing called SecondLife. At that time, it was L$10 to get into the game, so I manned up and got an account. And I wouldn’t call myself an icon by any stretch of the imagination...I have fun with almost everything I wear. P.C. You’re iconic with me! So those guys that convinced you to come into SL, are they still around? Do you still get to hang out or talk to them? O.P. Really only two of them are still around running their furniture business. They are Tim Hoffman and Sandi Hoffman of Hoffman Designs. Other than them, I’ve sort of lost touch with the rest of the crowd over the past 4 years. Continued on page 30 > Second Style Magazine | 29
Interview
> Continued from page 29
P.C. It’s too bad how people don’t stick around and you end up losing touch. The people who brought me into SL are not around anymore either :\ I read something about your first night in SL, tp’ing somewhere and standing around while a couple was trying to SLex? O.P. LOL yes! I may have divulged that in my blog. It was too funny. You know when you’re a n00b you just go after green dots on the map. Simply out of curiosity because you want to know what’s going on over there. I mean especially in those days when SL was much less populated. And it’s not my fault. If they would’ve had a door up instead of just a curtain, I wouldn’t have realized I had to click the door to open it. I mean eventually I would’ve figured that out, but they would’ve had plenty of time to ban me from their land before I got in. P.C. Hehe, I remember seeing the green dots and going over to see what’s going on. I can’t say I ever ran into anyone getting down, though. I was a big proponent of skyboxes from very early on. So your blog, Oscaresque, is fairly new in the blogosphere. What made you decide to start blogging fashion? O.P. Catero’s nagging P.C. LOL O.P. Coupled with Pheobe’s nagging P.C. So they just got on your ass constantly to write about the stuff you like? O.P. Haha yes, my candid conversations with Catero always ended up with “YOU SHOULD BLOG ABOUT THIS!” P.C. Haha he is very pushy when he wants to be :P Looking at your blog posts, you seem to do themes or “costumes.” Is that how you dress most of the time? O.P. Well I still feel like a n00b to the scene. I’m still working on honing in my writing style. The only one I feel like was really a theme was the Prince post. I blame VH1 for playing the Purple Rain movie multiple times the other weekend. Usually I go with a concept or new item that I picked up and constantly go through my 30 | Second Style Magazine
inventory looking for items that look right and work together. Although it can get tricky because when you’re as old as myself, sometimes you have stuff that looks great with an outfit, but you can’t find it anywhere in SL anymore because the designer has moved on or no longer has a store in the game. P.C. I know what you mean, you must have a giant inventory! Spill, you’re the one responsible for the lag on the grid, aren’t you? O.P. No my inventory is actually pretty small in comparison to others. I never did much building and I’m not entirely huge into interior design, so I’ve only got a measly 24k. P.C. Okay, then, I won’t fire you. I imagine when you’ve been around for four years, you tend to go through quite a few styles. Has your look evolved over time, or did you just pop out like this? You must have some fashion skeletons in the closet! O.P. Well, I have an excuse and it was pretty awesome anyway to be honest. You see when Continued on page 33 >
Interview
> Continued from page 30
I started, there really wasn’t very much male prim hair. The only style out there I think was a TorridWear style named Layered. So I rocked an afro that I created via sliders until...August or so of ‘05 when Here Comes Trouble came out with some good male hair. The Here Comes Trouble style named Surfer was the first prim hair I ever got, as the designer was creating the display. At that time, it was about the same popularity percentage that the Naughty style “Dare” caught. P.C. I heard about the afro! If you didn’t mention it, I was going to :P O.P. Haha I had a friend back then who made me a color-changing blowout comb too. You
could even set it to constantly color change so it could fade from red to orange to yellow etc. P.C. Other than the pretty radical changes in hair, you’ve obviously been at the forefront to witness the evolution of fashion in SL. What do you think of the direction it’s going in, with the “big business” model that seems to be taking over? O.P. Well I wish “big business” meant smaller price, but unfortunately it hasn’t worked out that way. Either way, big business will always leave room for niche markets. The creativity in here is endless and someone will always find something new to get into. I think the entrepreneurial influence of this world and authenticity that comes without a big name tag will hold some back from selling out to the big business. I’ll buy my polos from Macy’s, but if I need my suit tailored...I’ll go to an expert. P.C. So you have a pretty fresh and funky style; tonight you’re rocking a pink mohawk! It looks great though; do you always try to have that much fun with your look, and is any part of that influenced by your real life style? O.P. Hahaha. Sadly I don’t have a hot pink mohawk in real life. SL has the closet I want and doesn’t limit my style. I’d love to pull things out of my SL closet for my RL events. In real life, I’m a bit more preppy. I worked at American Eagle for a year and a half, so over half of my closet is American Eagle. I always wished that I could pull off the hardcore look and admired those with that style that could, but it would just look off on me. P.C. I am exactly the same way, and my SL closet is my dream closet if I could afford it and pull it off! It’s so much easier to justify spending L$400 on shoes than it is $400 on shoes irl, isn’t it? O.P. LOL no way...big brother is just watching me. As I was typing that out my gmail notifier popped with a msg that I got an email blast from American Eagle. P.C. Skerry! You gotta watch what you say lol Continued on page 34 > Second Style Magazine | 33
O.P. They owned my bootay for a year and a half... *checks my bootay for a tracker or microphone* P.C. *cues Twilight Zone music* I heard a little rumour a while ago that you’re a bit of a shoe whore. O.P. Haha well...I’m a little bit of a shoe whore... as I’m wearing the fat pack version of the Soreal Superstars. Yes, I think it’s because I have a hard time saying, “This pair of shoes nails what I’m looking for in this look.” Thus I scour and I scour for new shoes that I know will hit the mark. I’m slightly a visual perfectionist on color and making sure the look is as seamless as it can be. There have been multiple occasions where I have someone tugging at my sleeve saying “We’ve got to go...NOW” as I’m digging through the inventory for the shoes that fit best. P.C. I’d say that qualifies you as a genuine shoe whore, yep. Do you have any current favourites, besides the Soreal Superstars you mentioned? O.P. Oh yeah. Along those same lines would the Urban Bomb Unit PornStar Hi-Tops and I definitely dig the shoes that Kalnins are putting out. I love a pair of shoes with limitless options because it sets my mind at ease that I know I’ll be able to colorize it to my style. P.C. I completely agree, I love the scripted resize/colour/texture shoes! O.P. Oh yes; resizers are so key to so many items of mine beyond shoes too. I’m pretty savvy with the resizer boxers already, but a resizer script is great. P.C. The scripts are a bit of a godsend for me, I’m teh suck at the white resizer boxes! O.P. Hahaha P.C. You have a pretty fashionable girlfriend. Does she influence your style, or you hers? O.P. Hahaha well...I think it’s a bit of back and forth between both Pheobe and myself, but, back to that visual perfectionist again, I do mention it when she has things right.
that trap. ;-) P.C. LOL! Okay, anything you want to say in general, or anyone you want to send shoutouts to? O.P. Ohhhh man...I don’t think I have any specific shoutouts, but in general I’d like to thank people like Ryan Darragh, Catero, Ben Vanguard, Monta Horan, Iustinian Tomsen, and all of the other male bloggers out there for fighting the good fight of putting male fashion out there for SL to see. Female fashion tends to rule in both worlds, but there’s a large male market out there begging to be served with quality goods. P.C. Thanks so much for being this month’s Style Guy, it was a pleasure having you! O.P. It was an honor to be here. I’m still star struck.
P.C. And if she has things wrong? xD
P.C. I’m star struck writing this column! It’s tough following in Gillian’s and Haver’s footsteps.
O.P. Hahaha I’m smart enough not to fall into
O.P. Crazy Haver.
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On Javier Skin: Koji by riki Yifu of Slanted Fox Hat: Beanie-Type D by rika Oyen of Argrace Coat and Scarf: Carlitos Cardigan by Shai Delacroix of Casa Del Shai Pants: The John Doe Jeans by Menno Ophelia of Kari Shoes: Skulls High Top by Menno Ophelia of Kari On Siris Skin: Cole by Asuka Martin of Dernier Cri Hair: Interactive in Ebony by Ocean Lane of CHASE Jacket: Always in Olive by rika Oyen of Argrace Pants: Boots cut fit denim by rika Oyen of Argrace Shoes: Roadblazers by Maris Kanto of Kalnins Necklace: Dear cross+AK47 by risey Arai of :sey
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Iris Ophelia
MEN OF MODE
Poses from Sai Pennell’s Imperial Elegance
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On Javier Skin: Scorpio Origin by Khai Sinister of TheAbyss Hair: Hunting Cap-Type D by rika Oyen of Argrace Sweater: Argyle Sweater in Red by Kerem Lunt of King for Men Suspenders: New School Suspenders by Menno Ophelia of Kari Pants: The Rebel Jeans by Menno Ophelia of Kari On Siris Skin: Ichiro by denchu Dench of Den-Dou Hair: Paul in Cinammon Ash by machang Pichot of Aoharu Sweater: Nifty in Grey by Kerem Lunt of King for Men Pants: King Cargo in Light Brown by Kerem Lunt of King for Men
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On Siris Skin: Alex by theoden Lang of subaru Shirt: Oi! in Red by Kobe Flatley of Mechanism Pants: Fishy Strawberry Jeans by Fae Eriksen of Fishy Strawberry Shoes: Roadblazers by Maris Kanto of Kalnins Necklace: Like a Prayer by cheerno Destiny of a.C Store On Javier Skin: Scorpio Origin by Khai Sinister of TheAbyss Hair: Sold Wave in Neo Black by Reopa Laval of Find Ash Jacket: City Plaid Jacket in Brown by Kobe Flatley of Mechanism Pants: Stithed Up in Dark Indigo Wash by Lookr Luik of Lookr
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On Javier Skin: Scorpio Origin by Khai Sinister of TheAbyss Hair: by Asuka Martin of Dernier Cri Shirt: Buttons in Gold by Lookr Luik of Lookr Pants: Men’s Basic Denim Washed 10 by Lost Thereian of Naughty Designs Glasses: Rimless Emo Glasses by Nylon Pinkney of Nylon Outfitters On Siris Skin: Ska-001 by Arwen Epin of Millage Valenti Hair: Fiendish Wolf in Vintage Wine by Reopa Laval of Find Ash Shirt: Sexy Button-down in Rust by Jesseaitui Petion of Aitui Pants: Reborn Slacks by Jesseaitui Petion of Aitui Glasses: Eyeglass in Blue by Kerem Lunt of King
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On Siris Skin: Cole by Asuka Martin of Dernier Cri Hair: Hat Hair in Green by Noam Sproket of Gritty Kitty Shirt: Casual Shirt and Tie in Green by tango Bingyi of Tango New York Pants: Bobby Pants by Antonia Marat of artilleri Shoes: The Marteno by Maris Kanto of Kalnins
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On Siris Skin: Cole by Asuka Martin of Dernier Cri Hair: Aaron by Garbage Prototype of Random Shirt: Morphine Top by Aikea Rieko of Tokeo.Plastik Pants: Boots cut fit denim by rika Oyen of Argrace Shoes: The Marteno by Maris Kanto of Kalnins Wallet Chain: Chain Wallet by Noam Sprocket of Gritty Kitty
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Skin: Jay Skin Tattoo1 by Morphine Janick of Sweetest Goodbye Hair: Evolve in Night-Lagoon by Truth Hawks of Truth Designs Outfit: Candy Springtime by cheerno Destiny of a.C Store Shoes: Mixed Flip Sneakers in Kung Foo by Keri Clip of Detour
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On Siris Skin: Ska-001 by Arwen Epin of Millage Valenti Hat/Hair: Watch cap skull by risey Arai of :sey Sweater: Skully Knit Sweater by Antonia Marat of artilleri Pants: GAYAGirl skinnypants in Romanesque by Kotobuki Jewell of bijou Scarf: Skull muffler by risey Arai of :sey Boots: Pirate Rain Boots by coke Dreadlow of Urban Bomb Unit
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On Siris Skin: Jiro by denchu Dench of Den-Dou Hair: Noble Assymetry in Silver with Black Tips by Reopa Laval of Find Ash Outfit: School Boy in Grey+Mint by Morphine Janick of Sweetest Goodbye Earrings: Safety Pin Pierced Earring by Kurione Merlin of SPICA Necklace: Balkan Cross Choker by Sakka Flow of Sakka’s Studio
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By Amika Jewell
I know you know some of japanese creators. I think they have a certain story in their mind they want to share. As the story goes,they translate it into their builds and their creations and the story is told by each of their items. Some people may think it is very simple. But in that simplicity, they have a purpose. and each purpose have a meaning, carefully thought and blended into each of their items. They never compete or clash against each other, but look best mixed together.
NoaR(niQue soil (48, 177, 31) is a small shop but the items are very creative and original. They are so comfortable and prices very attractive. You can find that shop on the second floor of anuenue. more recently, CREAMSHOP new sim has opened. the sim is rainy town and very well put together. You surely get caught up in the sim mood. Clothes, accessories, everything in that sim show and let you in the imaginary world of CREAMSHOP.
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J’s(TSUKISHIMA (207, 232, 22)) has shoes of great quality. Every item is consistently following the trends. Texture details are beautiful and distinguish themselves from the rest. Uncleweb Studio(Yamashita (240, 206, 22)) Great detailed work on the textures and shapes available there. Uncleweb Studio does not have a branch. The creator;Din Raymaker focuses only on ‘creating’. He says he just enjoys creating. However his shop is very famous and known for high quality.
HAIR:Uncleweb Studio Anji-Hair type-A cafe brown T-SHIRT F*Useless Children*DEER-T(shirt) HOOD:*Algernon* Vintage Parka PANTS:NoaR SweatPants *red SHOES:*Algernon.* Canvas Lace Sneaker “Classic” NECKLACE:[M.R.M. FACTORY] Silver Necklace *Bonji* WATCH:[BUKKA]watch white HAIR:Uncleweb Studio Denis-Hair Fallen leaf JACKET:(CREAM SHOP) glam rock jkt white set WAIST MUFFLER:(Creamshop) Check charm waistcloth (brown) set BOTTOMS:AOHARU_BT_ColorDenim(Black) BOOTS:J’s WesternBoots USEDLOOK HEADPHONE:Five minutes after HEADPHONE K-501 12 HAIR:Uncleweb Studio Raymond-Hair type-A chomois COAT:GriBon/PeeeeCOAT/men* SHIRT:(Roo) Check Shirt (Green tie) MUFFLER:{CREAM SHOP} Linen stole muffler (White) BOTTOMS:-=about=- denim BOOTS:J’s Fringe WesternBOOTS (BLACK) GLASSES:*ottico* numero72
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Boy Hair Girls Can Wear By Genevieve Lutetia Boy hair (that girls can wear!) Unisex. Doesn’t that word take the sex out of u ’n I? Boom boom. I’ve spent a bit of time nosing around the interwebs to answer one of life’s great mysteries – do boys like girls with short hair? Or, more specifically, are boys pissed off at girls who steal yet another thing from what is traditionally the domain of the fellow, and pull it off with equal, if not more, aplomb? I’ve learnt there are two camps – one thinks short hair makes girls look butch, and to them I say read on (though you’d probably recoil from me in horror with mah shorty-short hair and biceps the size of Mack Trucks… well, Tonka Trucks, at least): plenty of boy styles ahead! The other camp thinks short is sexy, and, after blowing them kisses, I say, read on! Girls with short hair in bikinis ahead! New outfit Novocaine hit the ground running this year, with a sim packed full of cool gear for guys and girls and a boutique of beautifully textured hair. With the tag line ‘Novocaine… for the soul’, Novo Zimerman and Caine Lewinter promise much from their virtual inventory, and for the most part they deliver. The Claude hairstyle (and his sister Claudette) puts a funky spin on hat hair, but requires some tweaking to tuck in a few stray prims. Asuka Martin launched Dernier Cri (‘the latest thing in fashion’) on the adult grid in March this year with much fanfare. Keen observers knew Asuka’s clothing, skins and hair were some of the best on the teen grid and were eager to see how her range
would fit in with the (sometimes) sophisticated and rather saturated markets of the main grid. Her hair in particular has been widely lauded, and I am enamoured with her colour change HUD system for choosing hair colours. I purchased Liam as a style long before writing this article and it’s shaggy insouciance transcends gender. Hive of activity and favourite stalking ground for the SL Fashion Police, Cake has been a stalwart store on the grid since before my inception… ah, remember the day when Rumour came out? And who hasn’t had a love affair with a variant of Antonio? Home of the prim, the flexi-prim, the alpha flexi prim and the sculpty (more often than not hair, but occasionally of the boobage variety, too), Cake’s selection is broad but occasionally lacking in discernment. With cute unisex hair that nudges the effeminate line, Cake is a like a walking tour through the history of SL. A call to the late night gurus of Fashion Emergency for male hair that wasn’t a household name landed me at Uncleweb, from Japanese designer Din Raymaker. Half expecting anime pinks and immovable beehives, I was really pleasantly surprised with the range for both sexes (and even liked the inevitable pinks!). On the whole, even great designers can be a bit sloppy with their male contributions (the one-purchaseper-quartile average can’t be a great motivator), but Uncleweb’s styles are fantastic, subtle and foxy. Continued on page 58 > Second Style Magazine | 57
Chic Savvy <Continued from page 57
Excellent combination. Jesseaitui Petion’s tattoos were the reason I became a full-fledged, premium account holding SL resident (and someday I’d like to send him the bill of all I hold him accountable for!). I couldn’t not purchase one of his tattoos on that fateful day, and it’s been a slippery slide into poverty ever since. I’ve watched with keen interest Jesseaitui’s development of the male clothing, hair and skins side of his business – it’s being fantastically well received and the quality of his merchandise is top-notch. The Backfire style thrilled me right to the core and then kept on going to the fun parts – it’s equal parts adorable, sassy and delightful and it works the head mesh to its best advantage. Researching this article led to me to Noam Sprocket’s blog, and after reading his 17-point guide to customer service (and SL etiquette), I think I might be inline for my first SL crush. Witty, articulate AND artistic? Homina. Gritty Kitty’s urban- and indieinspired range of hair is perfect for sharing between the sexes – it’s strong without being meatheaded, quirky without being twee. Noam’s accessory line, too, is smart, imaginative and really well executed, and for some reason entirely underrepresented in my inventory. I’m certain this will change even before this goes to press. Largely creatively abandoned for other endeavours, Naughty is still open for business and still fearsomely laggy. I found the pricing there surprisingly dear, as design innovations in skins and hair texturing have rendered their inventory a little dated. Price point aside, Naughty hairs (male hair especially) are still solid investment pieces and show really good prim work. Aemilia Case is a fellow Aussie, which gives her instant cool points in my book, and a great content creator to boot. Her recently revamped colour range seems to have softened Philotic Energy’s offerings, though I think I might have thought Aemilia’s range 58 | Second Style Magazine
more gothicky/punky than it was owing to her habit of using only black hair in her ads. Enda II was created for both sexes, and offers a longer style than the average male hair. My judgement might have been coloured by Aemilia’s origins, but I think of this style as having a sandy, fresh-from-the-surf texture, which I find irresistible. I don’t know if any age-old questions have been answered, but the SL hair industry is alive and thriving. For boys it’s a golden age for quality content purveyors, for girls, it’s an excellent time to splurge for yourself or your fellow, or to expand your look in an all new direction. Credits: Hair (clockwise, from top left) Novocaine | Dernier Cri | Cake | Uncleweb | Aitui | Gritty Kitty | Naughty | Philotic Energy Skin | The Abyss (boy) | La Sylphide (girl) Eyes | Celestial Studios Necklace | Yummy (boy) | Cake (girl) Bracelet | YumYum | Artilleri
M INI IN TE RV I E W
M e n n o O phelia By K ari
Second Style: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Menno. So let’s get right to it, how did you start off with Second Life? Menno Ophelia: I discovered SL through a dutch documentary that followed a dutch couple and the guy ends up meeting his SL lover. I think that was in 2005. So when I saw it, my first thought was, “What the hell is this and what does this do a person psychologically”, so i thought the best way to judge was to go in and see for myself. SS: And how did you get to where you are today, as far as being a designer in SL? MO: I basically started with building and people seemed to like it. So that’s when I opened up my first shop, Hey Joe on the Imogen sim, which was mostly retro decor. But because I couldn’t find the clothing or prim wear I personally like to wear in RL, so that is how Kari was born... With a huge delay. *Laughs* SS: Why the delay? There was about one year of designing before you released only a portion of everything you made, why was that? MO: Well there are a few reasons why. First, because when I wanted to open up Kari initially, sculpties where just released and I felt like I couldn’t sell the stuff I had developed without sculpties. It didn’t make sense to sell plain prim shoes while everyone else is releasing sculpties... So it took me over 6 months to nail that down. Second, my main income in SL was and is a designer/builder, so that had to come first (finishing the bigger projects, that is). Third, I was kinda scared because people had been asking about it for a year... and I was kinda afraid that I couldn’t meet that expectation level with the reality of the products. SS: Evidently, Kari is a bit of a leap from your previous shop, which was mostly very kitschy retro housewares. Have your tastes just changed over time? MO: No not really. I love late 60s stuff... Basically what it all boils down too is who I am and the music I listen to. Like I would
say Hey Joe was really late sixties music and Kari is a mix of Rockabilly -Rock - Urban Dub and roots reggae. Somehow Kari is a lot more personal because the stuff that I make is really connected to who I am, I guess? I make things that I like to wear or see, and a lot of things I create are things I have or would like to have. I have tattoos, and some stuff in my store has tattoo design motifs. I love Dub, and I sell a Soundsystem. I have newsboy hats, and I sell... etc. etc. So basically all the influences come from my RL SS: Awesome. So what’s next for Kari? After all the halloween collaborations, do we have anything else to look forward to in that vein? MO: I have a lot of awesome ideas and I want to keep releasing every few weeks. I can’t give away what I what I want to release, but it is definitely some unique stuff again SS: Oh come on, a hint? “Shoes”? MO: Well I definitely want to do more clothes and shoes. The great thing about the collab was that I learned a lot... Those ladies rock hard. SS: Do you like designing for girls or guys more? MO: In all honesty I like designing for guys way more. During the collab I made some female stuff, but working with them it was like “No Menno, the heel isn’t sexy enough”. I just have no clue what to tweak to make a heel more sexy. *Laughs* So for me it is easier to do men’s stuff, but in a way that it’s still unisex, because I do think I have more female customers than male. SS: Is there anything you want to tell your fans and followers? MO: Well can I just really thank them? The support and feedback is amazing, and I am still kinda shocked that people like my creations that much. So thank you all for giving me a chance, and I hope to keep on creating and bringing you more Kari stuff... And I wouldn’t be here without the support of some people that I heart deeply... So a big thank you and Rock & Roll! *Laughs*
By Bone Mosten
PEACOCKING IN SL The question: How does one go about peacocking in a world where you can literally be a peacock? The term peacocking was coined by Erik von Markovik who is more widely known simply as Mystery. You see, Mystery is the creator of the Mystery Method, a very structured set of instructions to teach men how to pickup and seduce beautiful women. Mystery is can be seen in action on VH1’s reality TV series The Pick-up Artist. Mystery and his Method were also featured in The Game, a fantastic nonfiction book that explores the underground seduction community by Neil Strauss. In this world, Strauss is known as Style. Apparently pickup artists have to come up with some sort of moniker. It’s weird, I know. Can you imagine what Second Life would be like if there were a bunch of dudes running around with silly names trying to get laid? So, peacocking. It’s a simple concept. Dress to impress and dress to feel good. But make sure to stand out. The theory is this: Men tend to dress the same, so when one approaches a woman in a bar and she has just finished rejecting five other guys who looked just like him, he will have a harder time impressing her. A cowboy hat, a 62 | Second Style Magazine
pink vinyl belt, or even something as simple as a necklace are all forms of peacocking. They are fun and they are different therefor they make the guy appear to be fun and different. Appealing qualities. I’m not going to go too deep into this stuff. If you really want to know more about peacocking in real life, I’m sure you can find all the information you want through Google. No. I want to go back to the original question. How does one go about peacocking in a world where you literally can be a peacock? Like many things being imported from real life into the metaverse, peacocking in Second Life takes on new levels of extreme. For example, my sad little pink vinyl belt would be trumped by that guy over there wearing that - wait, what is that? Is that guy wearing a stegosaurus? I have found some - and I stress “some” success appealing to the more of the basic human instincts. Obviously these are our universal love of baby animals and frosted desserts. Skip the Wallaby from TANGRAM is, perhaps, the best wingman on the grid. And try popping on a cupcake head from Spoonful of Continued on page 64 >
Peakcocking <Continued from page 62
Sugar in a club full of guys trying real hard maybe too hard - to look cool and you may find yourself on the receiving end of a flirtatious IM from that woman you’ve been camming. I can’t sit here, tapping at my keyboard and tell you that, this, and this will work while that, that, and those won’t. I just don’t know. And with the shear volume of creativity being spewed out by residents, by the time this article saw print, my findings would surely be out of date. So instead, I’ll leave you with some simple suggestions: 1. Be bold, experiment, and try new things. 2. Don’t worry about not looking cool. Worry about looking fun. 3. Don’t follow trends. Start your own. 4. Be true to yourself and show that with pride. 5. And, for the love of all that is good, bling is never the answer.
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MEN’S FOOTWEAR By Phoenix Chapman FNKY (FNKY/Cake 128, 128, 23) Designer Funk Schnook is certainly at the forefront of fashion for both men and women. His careful attention to detail makes his store a must-go, where his Puma-inspired Racers steal the show. Akeyo (Akeyo 138, 115, 44) Akeyo is my first choice for chucks, with many different styles and colour combinations to choose from. His scripted shoes are a must-have for the man with the bulging…inventory! Shiny Things (Shiny Falls 173, 181, 37) Fallingwater Cellardoor is iconic in the world of shoes, and for good reason! Her small mens section is well-rounded with the casual street shoe and loafers you must have on your shopping list. Soreal (Quargar 219, 180, 756) Soreal is fairly new to the footwear playing field, but it’s clear with their first two releases that they are going to rocket to the top. Incredibly detailed and painstakingly textured, they’ll have your feet dancing. Hoorenbeek (JT World VI 124, 42, 23) If extreme realism is what you’re after, look no further than Hoorenbeek, which has a very wide selection of footwear for the fashionable male. With the influx of major talent, and the advent of sculpties, it’s clear the fashion world and those who love shoes will never be the same. While this is in no way a definitive list, it will get you started on your way to being a man to be reckoned with.
By Graciana McMillan In a special men’s edition of the Runway Review I decided to mix things up a bit and selected a few handsome men in suits and one sexy fantasy man from last month’s runways shows. I really do feel for the male population of Second Life, while it’s getting so much better and continues to every day; the selection for guys is not nearly as full as it is for women. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t fashion choices and runway shows for men; it just means that you have to be a little more tenacious to find them. From the Styles of edo Formal Men’s Collection show presented by Boulevard Agency is model Alic White wearing 2008 Suit Tuxedo 4. Creating a formal look with a splash of color on the vest and shirt. This suit makes me want to close my eyes and imagine dancing the 66 | Second Style Magazine
night away with a handsome and well dressed stranger at the upcoming holiday parties and events. *sigh* Up next is Jackson Vantelli, also from Styles of edo, wearing the 2008 Tuxedo 4. A slight hint of pink on the vest draws your eye and the white on white tie brings you in closer. Something about a man in a suit makes women swoon, so guys find reasons to take us out all dressed up, you won’t be disappointed. *swoon* My final suit from the Styles of edo show is JonmiChel Heron wearing the Tailcoat. More formal then my other two selections, this is a special occasion wardrobe addition. I know there are a lot of women, and men, for that matter that would love to ring in the New Year with that special guy dressed like this by their side. *smile*
Men’s show, but just as sexy. This was the Styles Shape show featuring shapes by Styles. Model Jonny Tobias featuring the Leroy shape is in the Scorpio outfit by Barerose, and Kraken hair by Tekeli-Li. This show was also presented by Boulevard Agency. The fantasy outfits really set off the shapes and skins to create a fierce and seductive look. *salivate* As is my tradition I wanted to leave you with a smart and witty fashionable quote that related to men’s fashion. So I part for now with the words of an unknown author who said, “Fashion is all about eventually becoming naked.” While I’m not sure it applies in all circumstances, or just to men, it certainly doesn’t hurt to keep in mind.
My final show was a tad different than the Formal Second Style Magazine | 67